Petals on the Wind
by enaskoritsi
Summary: Each day brought another bittersweet passage, a new page of their tragic love story. A collection of Zack x Aerith drabbles and one-shots.
1. Secrets

_Disclaimer :_ I'm just a poor schmo who owns nothing. I'd be rich if I owned Final Fantasy VII, not a poor soul with fifty bucks in my bank account. :(

_Author's Note : _This is going to be a collection of Zack x Aerith drabbles and one-shots. They will be all different lengths, genres, and points-of-view. Some will follow the game, some won't, some will be AU. I really wanted to explore themes I haven't used before, like fluffiness, and romance, though I'm unsure if I can do them well. I'll give it my all to try.

Please do leave reviews. I appreciate constructive criticism immensely, and I really want to hear thoughts, good or bad. I'm also very willing to take request prompts or ideas! I'd actually love that. :) Thank you.

**Secrets**

Glancing out at the gaping arch at the head of her church, Aerith mused;

There were few secrets kept within the slums of Midgar.

The people, with their dreary and desolate lives, took immediate notice to change. Their faded but sharp eyes, meticulous from the trained art of theft, narrowed on any difference in their mundane existence.

Normally, these alterations were minute, tedious things. Perhaps bread prices had risen again, leaving the people with no choice but to heave poverty-stricken sighs and hand over half their pay instead of a quarter. In other circumstances, it could be the faint, cautious murmurs of rebel activity against their sly, well-shielded dictators. These, more often then not, received a roll of the eyes or a rough, calloused hand clamped to the mouth. Such rumors were unproductive, only burrowing deeper the bitter poison blackening the people's vindictive hearts.

So, in this efficient and speedy fashion, almost everyone knew of the disappearance of Aerith's SOLDIER.

The grinning, raven-haired man, who used to stroll by her side with an illuminating smile, was gone. Though the people floundering under the plate were naturally distrustful, the hearts of everyone tore a little at the cruel revelation. Even though his mako eyes sent their suspicion on edge, he had made Aerith happy. If anything else, those with nothing cherish what brought them joy.

Yet, Aerith was never one to dwell on the ills life had dealt her. She took her hand, even if it wasn't a royal flush, and played with one of the strongest poker faces in the world.

So though at first her flowers faltered with consoling and pity, their blooming faces convinced everyone that all was well.

Aerith kneeled against the wood-paneled floor, ignoring its creaking and how it would crinkle her dress afterwards.

"It's true," she whispered to her blossoms, allowing them to cuddle against her pale hands.

"But there are some things we do manage to keep to ourselves."

Breaking away from a spot that had long granted tranquility, Aerith walked down the aisle. If anyone peeked inside, they would have seen the lonely bride, clutching her wedding bouquet close to her chest.

"They ask why I'm not upset, you know?" she commented quietly, reaching a place, scuffed a little, that held her interest. She settled back down, remembering with a twinge of regret that there was no neck to wrap her around, no tan cheek to press against with her own.

"But I..." she trailed off, staring at the aged wood. "I am sad."

"I just keep it here," Aerith came to realize, pressing a hand to her heart. "I'm keeping it inside."

Her flowers shifted in the small breeze freshening the overwhelming aroma of flora, bobbing their heavy heads in question.

She gave them a faint, strained smile.

"There's no reason to be sad if he can't comfort me."

Aerith ignored the choking sensation in her throat, the burning behind her eyes. Pulling her knees to her chest, she rested her chin atop them, clasping her hands to keep them from shaking.

"No reason to cry without Zack to make it all okay."


	2. Prayer

_A/N : _I'm putting this up pretty quickly for two reasons. One : Today is Project Runway, so it's cause for celebration! Two : Between seeing The Dark Knight four times on Friday and going on vacation the day after, I don't really have much free time, and I wanted to get this up.

This is the first 'happy' piece of writing I have ever seriously tried, so I don't know how it came out. Therefore, I really, really appreciate reviews and thoughts on it, so please review? :)

Thanks for reading, and thanks for the reviews I have received (**ZacksFlowerGirl** and **Warrayfinson**). It meant a great deal to me and was part of the reason I have so many of these saved to my desktop now!

(Author's Notes will not normally be this long **:)** )

**Prayer**

"Hey, Aerith?"

Aerith glanced over her shoulder, squinting slightly from where the light stung her searching green eyes. Standing from the flowers she had been tending, she brushed off her white sundress before stepping out of the plot, carefully guiding her feet in the maze that others would find dizzying. Her long, tightly woven braid flopped over her shoulder when she finally gave Zack her full attention with a knowing smile.

Zack sat in one of the dusty pews, his head thrown back with his arms stretched fully against the aged wooden rails. His legs were propped up against the back of the row in front of him, and his blue eyes were lazily trained at the ceiling, where a splitting hole allowed the sun's rays to cater to the garden growing against the norm. A tiny frown was imbedded in his normally cheerful face, and his gaze flickered to Aerith as he waited upon an answer.

When Zack noticed her patient attention was focused on him, he continued, his lips forming each words sluggishly to betray his deep concentration.

"This is a church...but no one comes here," he pointed out, "to pray or anything."

Aerith paused, her large eyes scanning over the deserted benches, the homey feeling of comfort she was used to retreating back into something bleaker, empty.

"I..." she mentioned quietly with a little unsure sadness. "I guess not."

"Why is that?" he pressed, springing to his feet. He glanced at the other, unleashing his inquisitive mako-intense gaze with a pensive subtly that wasn't exactly like him. Aerith moved to his side, wondering what touches of thought were on tip-toeing around his mind.

"Things can be sad here under the plate," she began unsurely, watching Zack's face soften. "They might have...lost their faith?"

Trying to lighten the heaviness, she smiled sweetly, "Or maybe they just don't have the time."

"Have you ever done it before?" Zack wondered, and Aerith pondered if her thoughts counted.

"Not in the traditional sense, no," she admitted, and Zack grabbed her hand with a grin, pulling her towards the pews.

"Let's try it!"

"It's not a game, Zack!" Aerith giggled, staring down incredulously when Zack kneeled down experimentally, wiggling his legs slightly against the stiff surface. He tapped the back of the row in front of him for a few seconds into he realized that he was supposed to be revering. When his hands were planted together in a lopsided steeple, he raised his eyebrows at Aerith expectantly.

"Well?" he prompted, and Aerith couldn't have denied his childish excitement for anything. She seated herself on her knees next to Zack, placing her hands in a more relaxed imitation of Zack's eagerness.

"So," Zack prompted, "how does this work?

"You say what you're thankful for," Aerith instructed, bowing her head respectfully. "And ask for what will make you and those you love happy."

"Alright!" Zack nodded brightly, clearing his throat.

"Gaia, thanks for letting me be a SOLDIER First Class," he started, his playful eyes settling on the field of flowers basking in the sun a few yards away. "It was really challenging, but there's nothing else I'd rather do."

"Thanks for my friends, like Angeal," Zack continued, allowing his cheerful words to hide the somber mood lying in disguise where only Aerith could see, but pretend not to. "Thanks for helping me keep my honor, and I hope he's proud wherever he is. Make sure he knows I have great focus now, too!"

Zack winked at Aerith, "He was always ragging on me about that."

Moving on, Zack closed his eyes to think a little before stampeding onward.

"I'm grateful for my mom back in Gongaga," he changed his path swiftly. "And speaking of backwater towns, thanks for letting me meet Cloud. I think he's going to be a really good friend someday."

"Most importantly," Zack paused, his tone softer when his eyes shifted to meet Aerith's waiting ones. "Thank you for Aerith. I love her a lot, even if I had to risk a concussion to meet the girl of my dreams."

Aerith pushed him playfully, barely able to move his muscular chest with her delicate ones.

"I'm finished," Zack announced, crossing his arms in a relaxed position. "Your turn."

Shaking her head fondly, Aerith rearranged her hands and lowered her head, closing her eyes in respect but unable to cease the upturned corners of her lips.

Her words, as few as they were, said just as much.

"Thank you for Zack."


	3. Trust

_A/N : _I'm back from vacation and ready to keep on trucking. I seem to be going in some sort of order, depressing, happy, depressing. I guess I'll make the next one rather joyous, eh? :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed (**Warayfinson**, **Wind** **Kunai**, and **LilTyphoon**). It means a great deal to me, and you three are wonderful!

Oh, and remember, if anyone has any requests or suggestion word prompts, stick them in a review or PM ;) Thanks!

Please remember to review. Thank you so very much for reading!

**Trust**

Despite her relationship with Zack, Aerith had never really stopped fearing SOLDIER.

The words she spoke to him blindly, in the revealing, fairytale playground of children, were her true thoughts. She announced them before she knew who he was and what he did, but opinions cannot always change on the whims of the people who hold them, and so Aerith still felt and believed the same. SOLDIERs were vicious, bloodthirsty, and barely any more human as were the monsters they fought. Each carried enough destruction and ruthless military training in one finger to murder an entire city impeccably and guiltlessly, as long as it was called a mission.

And while Zack's chemically enhanced eyes were beautiful, Aerith could not deny that they and their unnatural shine sometimes frightened her.

When she saw him fight, with his staggering sword held in his hands as easily as a child toy, a blade that sliced through mortal and demonic flesh with the equal dexterity and skill, Aerith was scared. The way the mako turned electric, blue and green tendrils sparking with excitement and death; it sent a terrified, icy chill down her spine. Even when Zack unsheathed his sword and strength alike with the only reason being to protect her, she still trembled so horribly afterwards that he had to hold her close, tightly, mistaking her shaking for something she knew it was not.

She never told Zack that it was caused more by him than the creatures he had destroyed.

Everyday, the people in the slums told stories about SOLDIER, ghost stories, since everyone who starred in them was dead. They whispered about how ShinRa shot down everyone who denied them power, even rebuilding entire towns to protect their disgusting, mocking joke of a clean name. Children, huddled around burning piles of rotten garbage, seeking warmth in torn and tattered clothes, spoke in awe and terror of carcasses spewing enough blood to bathe in.

As everyone was taught to know, SOLDIERs were cruel, and they killed without mercy, and they enjoyed it.

Often after hearing tales like these, Aerith would have nightmares. She'd see Zack, Zack whose eyes teared if he accidentally stepped on one delicate, precious flower, with a face splattered with crimson blood, innocent bodies falling around him with dozens of gaping mouths screeching a silent scream no one would hear. His smile, always so soft and compassionate, would drip then with venom and madness, sizzling down his face and mixing with the revolting red rivers that drizzled upon the ground, burning the earth as monstrosities were always born to do.

Then she'd wake up, her cheeks wet and her heart thumping so loudly that she was sure the whole of Midgar could hear it.

But in the end, Aerith would calm down, dry her face, and rest her head back onto her thin pillow to ease back into sleep. The next morning, with the sun glowing placidly in the sky, she would wait patiently on the steps of her church until an eager silhouette rambunctiously dared to stand against the sky. Tan skin and sparkling blue untainted eyes, would stand inspiringly against black clothes, the true, inner-innocence winning over the weak forces of corruption. It was like a symbol, a silent contrast from the planet that proved everything would not fall to ruin as in her nightmares.

Just as how, after each doubt and fear that plagued the nights, the moon would whisper to her its reassurances, and Aerith would recover and be stronger for it.

Yes, Aerith was scared of SOLDIER. It was a primal, guttural aversion she would probably never be able to shake. Zack, though, was not just SOLDIER. Zack was something more.

Zack would never hurt without reason, or maim for the pleasure of doing so. His actions were those of a protector, not a hateful reaper who stole from the world and gave nothing in return. Everyday, he solidified that, proved himself even more, stayed the honorable young man Aerith had grown to love.

Zack was Zack, and Aerith trusted Zack more than anyone else she had ever known.

While his eyes were beautiful, Aerith knew his soul was even more so.

And a soul as pure as that could not be tainted with even the most potent mako energy.


	4. Plans

_A/N : _This is an AU (as in the everyday world, not the FF7 one), and there is character death. There are also a few curse words within it, due to the mood of the piece. I wasn't planning on writing this, but it just sort of flew out of my fingers. I'm sure if it's any good, as in being in-character or what not, but...well, Zack's been through a lot. And honestly...he can't be happy forever.

Thanks to my two reviews (**Warrayfinson** and **chipmouskin**), because I cherish them dearly. Please review, even if you have before, just to say what you think. It means a great deal.

I promise a happy one next time.

Thank you for reading.

**Plans**

I never expected this.

I was ready for a lot of things, more than most people. I was prepared for a bullet in the chest, a sword through the stomach, even a twisted combination of the two. I was ready for death.

My death.

_Mine._

Not hers.

I am not ready for this.

I'm not ready to see her lying there, her skin as sickly pale and pallid as the white sheets she's lying on. The pink comforter I brought from home should match the healthy blush in her cheeks, match the silk ribbon that should be in her hair, not lying dejected on the floor collecting dust. I am not prepared for the way her eyelids flutter with nightmares and fever, pupils moving this way and that in an never-ending horror that she can't escape from.

This isn't the way our life together was supposed to play out.

_I_ was supposed to die.

Not her.

_Never _her.

I live in war, in tactics and strategy. I've killed and maimed, saved and sacrificed, because I am a soldier and that is the duty an army upholds to do. We knew that, from the day we met until this day now, we knew that my luck would run out one day. She had the courage for it, because we had to face the fact that all it took was one shot to keep me from coming home, smiling with apology because I was late for dinner.

We were _prepared_, dammit.

She was going to be brave.

And I...I don't think I can.

I've trained, pushed my body to the limits more than any other comrade in my unit. My superiors often had to push me home with orders that I'd be suspended if I didn't rest, if I didn't let myself breathe. My mind has been steeled against the very boundaries of physical pain and mental torture, and neither of them could harm me thanks to that training.

That training was bullshit.

_Fucking bullshit._

Because it isn't helping now, at all.

God, I don't know what to do.

The doctors tell me there's no hope. They don't lie, even though they're supposed to. With their ghostly white limbs that just remind me of how lifeless she is, with those uncaring eyes, so nonchalant as they crush my soul, my dreams, my purpose, my everything.

They try to comfort me, with their plastic hands, their obligation. They don't mean any of it, not a single word, because they aren't the ones sitting here, holding her freezing hand and remembering how it used to be so warm. They aren't curling their bruised fingers in-between her perfect ones, heart breaking when they don't squeeze back. It isn't their tears that are slipping free unbidden, just remembering those hands, just a part of her, how they used to curl so delicately around the stem of a flower.

And they tell me to talk to her.

They tell _me_, to talk to _her_.

After saying, with completely certainty that I've lost her, a feeling worse than any battle wound I've ever known, that it will only make the process easier.

How can this be easier?

How _could_ it _ever_ be easier?

How can they tell me watching the love of my life die will be easier if I pretend, pretend she can hear me when she can't?

How could I even try?

I want to try.

If someone had asked me the question a year ago, I would've been sure I could do it. I would be convinced that it would be so _simple _to just chatter away like I always had, like I was known for. It had been my expertise, going on and on about nothing for hours, just filling the silence with the stupidest things.

I haven't talked in days.

God, what would she think of me?

I used to be so happy. People used to tell me my face might explode if I smiled anymore, if I laughed any louder, if I displayed one more ounce of optimism. Everyone was my friend, and even the highest generals congratulated me constantly, telling me I had such promise, so potential.

But then I met her, and it was so different.

I never really smiled until I smiled at her. It felt like the first time, the first real expression of joy I had ever shown. She did that to me; she made everything new again, everything beautiful. No one else could understand it. It was our secret, our special something that only we could share.

I haven't let out so much as a grin in months, not since the coma stole her from me, his invisible arms stretching forward and pulling her away while I watched, screaming until my throat bled for him to give her back. Honestly,_ I don't think I'll ever smile again._

The idea of laughter makes me sick.

Hearing the nurses giggle behind their clipboards makes me nauseous. I want to rip the little pieces of wood from their hands and tell them to do their fucking jobs. Maybe if they didn't stand their gossiping they could _save her_, could've found something to cure the incurable. Then my life wouldn't be ending each second that passes.

I don't know what to do anymore.

They tell me she only has a few more hours until her heart gives out, the heart that I gave myself to, that dangles in front just out of my reach, swung by the devil's hands.

I have no plans, no future.

I feel weak.

I feel useless.

We never expected this.

_I_ never expected this.


	5. Fragments

_A/N : _I feel like this is long overdue, so I apologize. Secondly, I've always wanted to do something like this, so I popped twenty-five words out of this random-word-generator I found and set myself to it. I actually like it. So yeah, each word served for a prompt for a sentence about Zack and Aerith (or both). Some are a little obscure, while a few are obvious with their inspiration, but I think it makes it more interesting that way.

Oh my gosh, five reviews?? That's the most I've ever gotten for this story! Thank you so so so much (**Warrayfinson**, **ZacksFlowerGirl**, **Shtuff**, **chipmouskin**, and **Sir** **FrozenPickle**) ! You guys are completely awesome!

Please review again, or drop an opinion if you haven't before, because I'd love to hear your thoughts. They inspire me so much, and well, without them, you probably wouldn't be reading this, haha.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

**Fragments**

_**Stitch**_

Zack had survived numerous wounds, physical and emotional, yet Aerith's goodbye was one which he knew he would never recover from.

_**Flutter**_

Aerith had felt her pulse race before, her mind whirl, the rare but slightly painful feeling that comes from laughing too hard, but it took Zack's smile to make her heart skip a beat.

_**Overture**_

She hadn't really expected him to come back, even though the honesty in his eyes made her hope; only when he out-dazzled the sun the next afternoon did she allow herself to hear the symphony.

_**Deadline**_

The infantryman cursed as the target simply would not go down, and for a moment he wondered why the other was fighting so hard against the inevitable; shaking his head, he reloaded his gun, knowing he had a wife at home waiting for him.

_**Impulse**_

Aerith was knee-deep in blossoms when something soft and sweet suddenly pressed against her lips, but when she blushed in question, Zack only laughed.

_**Chase**_

With the letters trapped in the prison of a glass box, no one could hear their pleas; they weren't finished yet, no, they hadn't found him.

_**Reflect**_

When Zack thought about it, he realized he must've been one of the luckiest people in the world; he'd gotten to see heaven's wings and moments later fall into the arms of an angel.

_**Wonder**_

Zack had never filled her with sorrow, or anger, or any type of negative emotion at all; Aerith wasn't sure it was normal to be this happy.

_**Youth**_

Sometimes he would just watch her, eye catching on the dainty pink ribbon tied in her hair, and imagine the life that was stretched before them, the life both were ready to share.

_**Crash**_

One day Zack was there, and the next he wasn't; it happened so quickly that she wasn't ready for the fall back into reality.

_**Ruin**_

She wished she could brave the plate and go looking, but her deepest heart was frozen with fear knowing that Zack wouldn't be there in case the sky came crashing down.

_**Draft**_

Aerith had thousands of reunions ready in her head, yet she couldn't bring herself to choose because as long as Zack was there, every one was perfect.

_**Display**_

They stood with clipboards ready, recently shined glasses perched upon every nose, listening intently as the specimen repeated the same mumbled words over and over; what could this 'aerith' be?

_**Cause**_

When she asked him why, Zack told her that he wanted to be a hero; sometimes Aerith had to wonder if that justified all the lives he had taken.

_**Key**_

Zack had been the way to a whole new world of possibilities and emotions, but when he was gone Aerith quietly let that lock rust over, never to open again.

_**Road**_

Being called on a exotic, faraway mission used to bring euphoria and elation, yet lately Zack only knew those feelings in a certain church in the slums.

_**Linger**_

When he returned to the barracks after a day of selling flowers, the other recruits would tease him playfully, saying he smelled like a girl; Zack would just wave them off and smile, knowing that he carried a piece of her with him.

_**Sin**_

With his easily captured attention and habits of jumping around when he retold stories, Zack had crushed a total of thirty-one flowers during his visits; if it were anyone else, they would've gotten much worse than a lecture.

_**Traverse**_

When her final words spilled from her heart with the help of ink splotched with tears, and the last letter left her hands and entered those who she could not trust, Aerith kept repeating to herself it was because paper was just too expensive now.

_**Shadow**_

As she walked, Aerith would look down at the ruined streets, spotting only one soul where there once had been two.

_**Loop**_

The small homeless boy peeked through the garbage cans for the sixteenth time that month, watching the pretty flower girl pass by as she always did, and he wondered why there was no one beside her.

_**Spilt**_

As his blood becomes rivers to quench the thirst of the world that slew him, Zack can only remember the care of a shy smile and the love in a special pair of green eyes.

_**Coast**_

Zack should have been enjoying his vacation, but he spends the entire week trying to figure out how to tell Aerith how much he missed her.

_**Deliver**_

While time passes, Aerith receives four more birthday cards, but never the present she's constantly waiting for.

_**Weakness**_

When he felt Aerith's thin arms wrap around his neck in a silent attempt to comfort him through his broken tears, Zack promised himself that he would take care of her next time.


	6. Dream

_A/N : _Hi...Yeah, I know it's been a while! I'm sorry :( I'm not a big fan of this one...but I hope you do enjoy it. :) I think I'm a little weak with dialogue, so if anyone has some advice, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks for everyone who reviewed since the last chapter (**LilTyphoon**, **Warrayfinson**, **C2**-**Chikaru**, **chipmouskin**, **Tsamo93**). I appreciate it so much!!

So, lastly, please remember to review! It'll get chapters much sooner...hopefully ;)

**Dream**

"Here you go," Aerith smiled brightly, handing the daisy to the small boy, who held out his grubby hands to press it carefully to his chest. His huge brown eyes were wide with caution and awe, timid fingers curled around the white petals to keep a single one from bending or being stolen by the greedy wind, lest he destroy one of the first flowers he had ever seen.

He beamed up at Aerith with his dirty face, his crooked but endearing expression of joy seeping into his squeaky voice as he babbled gratefully, "Thanks for letting me have this, 'specially for free and all. I'll pay you back soon as I can, promise!"

"It's okay," Aerith reassured him, and the sight of her caring face calmed the nervous tremors in the boy's heart. "You said it was for your sister's birthday, didn't you?"

The boy nodded energetically, so Aerith laughed pleasantly in response, urging him towards the park's exit so he could take it to her.

"Don't worry about it," she comforted his conscience one last time, "Just tell her happy birthday for me, too, please."

"I will!" the boy promised loudly as he walked off, cradling the blossom while trying to rush at the same time, his bare feet sloshing through puddles and tripping over stones despite his efforts.

With pleased eyes and a quiet sigh, Aerith watched her first customer of the day disappear, finally turning back around when the smog and grime covered up his outline.

"He's a good kid," a quiet voice suddenly commented, and Aerith turned her head towards Zack, who was sitting atop the rusty slide with his long legs dangling over the edges. She frowned slightly, knowing why he had stayed in the background, not bursting forward with the energy he had forced himself to contain.

"I think so, too," Aerith agreed, sitting at the bottom of the plastic toy, smoothing her dress so it wouldn't wrinkle at the shifted position. "He looked so happy..."

The idea of the rarity of gifts under the plate threatened to bring about a somber mood, but before Aerith could conjure up some way to alter the effect, Zack beat her to it.

"Do you ever think about having kids?"

Her green eyes shot towards him in surprise, and she was startled to meet his curious blue, when before they had been gazing unseeingly forwards. After a few seconds, Aerith looked down at her hands, a little shocked to see how they had curled into the fabric around her knees, pulling at it anxiously. There was a small thumping in the back of her mind, growing a little louder as she thought it over, and she realized it was her pulse, leaping erratically due to the beating of her heart.

She giggled slightly, the reaction her default for questions such as these, and also at the girlish anxiety she experienced only around Zack.

"I don't really think about it," Aerith eventually answered slowly, gaze shifting back upwards to meet Zack's, which was still focused on her gently. "But I would like to have children."

She laughed again sweetly, unable to imagine herself with her own children tripping around her, pulling at her skirts and begging for attention, "Someday though, not yet."

"That's good," Zack replied obviously before he could stop himself, grinning from ear to ear when Aerith threw him a playful glance instead of a harsh rebuke.

"Why are you asking?" Aerith questioned, turning around on the slide so her legs were tucked underneath her while she faced the other, watching him run a nervous hand through his black hair.

"Just wondering, I guess," he explained half-heartedly, shrugging his shoulders before gripping the bar above his head. Once he had it tightly secured between his fingers, he pushed himself upwards, moving up and down for some sort of motion in a spontaneous imitation of pull-ups. Aerith didn't say anything, but inside there was a secret smile.

Zack always had to move when he was nervous.

Aerith called up to him after a few minutes, "Do you want children, Zack?"

The other froze, ceasing his frenzied movements before plopping back on the yellow, graffitied surface.

"Yeah," he replied, suddenly completely serious. "I do."

"What about your dream?" Aerith wondered out-loud, half to herself and half to Zack. "Are SOLDIERs even..."

She trailed off, eyes boring into the ground guiltily while she bit her lip to keep from saying anything else.

Her head shot up when she heard the last thing she expected, Zack's joyous, whole-hearted laugh.

"My dream," he began after the comforting sounds had died down, "is to be a hero. I still have to time to reach that dream."

He looked down at her meaningfully, a thoughtful smile pulling at his lips.

"And you know what," he pushed his body down the slide, wrapping his arms around her lovingly when he reached the bottom.

"I have two dreams now."


	7. Fate

_Author's Note : _I can honestly say I don't like this one, just because the idea is kind of overused. However, I've had it on my desktop for a few weeks, and since I haven't gotten much written for various reasons I won't bore you with, I wanted to update. I do have the next one started though, so no worries. :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed (**Shtuff**, **chipmouskin**, **Warrayfinson**, and **little**-**pocketmouse**). It means so much to me, so please keep reviewing!

_Side Note : _I just want to dedicate this drabble to **Warrayfinson**, for alerting me that someone had one of my stories up over at deviantart without my permission. I'm sure they didn't mean any harm, and did take it down when I asked, but it just means a great deal that I was told since that never happened to me before. So yeah, dedication. :)

**Fate**

_Dear Zack,_

Aerith paused, her meticulously, almost religiously sharpened pencil hovering over the paper with uncertainty when its master ceased her movement. She turned her head to glance out the window, staring out at the ground that was dyed a promising silver by the motherly embrace of the moon. Green eyes softened, thinking of how the flowers in her church were freshly budded, ready for a new spring. Sighing deeply, she turned her attention back to the task before her, pressing the lead into the thin surface lovingly.

_It seems so strange that you've already been gone for a whole year._

Whole-hearted, optimistic laughter filled her ears, appearing before Aerith's vision as a tan face with glowing blue eyes, looking back at her with warmth and adoration. She knew she could shake her head to disperse the charade, but she did not, and allowed herself to bask in it for a short time before grasping her senses again.

_New flowers are growing. I really wish you could see them. I planted a few pink ones, since I know you like the color so much._

A creaking sound, the kind made by a foot touching a step, shattered the air, and Aerith started, causing her head to shoot up fearfully. She bit her lip, gathering her papers together like a protective mother to her children until minutes passed to reassure her, only then relaxing her grip. If anyone saw her sending out another one of these letters, they would surely have tried to convince her to do otherwise, and Aerith wouldn't allow that.

_Do you think you'll be back before next spring? You better be, or I might have to come after you, Zack!_

The people had begun their sympathetic advances, presenting her with their best attempts of comfort and poorly concealed pity. More bought her flowers, telling her how adorable her wagon was, doing anything in their meager power to brighten her disposition, which they knew must've been sour with loss and betrayal. Aerith appreciated their gestures, almost awed by the colorful blossoms decorating each and every window, but she knew they were unnecessary. There was nothing to mourn, just someone to wait for, someone to believe in.

_I really am worried though, Zack. It's been such a long time since I've seen you, and you haven't replied to any of my letters. Have you gotten any of my other ones? _

_I'll write more soon, but it's late, and pushing the wagon by myself makes me tired. I hope you come home soon, so we can stay up together and just talk the way we used to. _

_Zack,_

Aerith froze again, ransacking her thoughts for the perfect ending to convey how she felt. With a tiny smile, she leaned back down, scratching with the dulling point.

_I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes._

_Aerith_

A pale hand, even whiter in the moonshine, reached for an envelope, neatly tucking the letter inside and sealing it. Clutching it with clenched hands and pressing it to her chest, Aerith stood, heading down the hallway that would lead outside.

Ever since birth, Aerith had been able to feel, to sense emotions and even the future somewhat in a more defined way than those around her. She could almost read thoughts, and she often felt blessed and honored for the gift that most human's could barely dream of.

However, while she pushed open the door to catch a glimpse of the dingy mailbox barely lasting on its hinges, she regretted it. As she took each step forward, something told her that it was fruitless, invisible whispers trying to soothe her persistence, to drive her back inside. He's gone, they spoke in their hushed, otherworldly sonnets, it's the way things are, how his life was planned out to be, as well as yours.

Without hesitation, Aerith slipped the small letter inside, striding back into the house with a determined gait.

Aerith had defied everything, from the people around her to their expectations.

She could defy fate, too.


	8. Guardian

_A/N : _Yay, an update! This one may be a little weird since it's from a weird point of view (you'll see). Still I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for those who reviewed (**chipmouskin**, **darkangel8694**, **Warryafinson**, and **Tsamo93**).

Please remember to review!!

**Guardian**

It did not have a name, nor a past, nor a what, why, when, where, who, or how. It had not been born, but it would die. It did not know care, but it would know life's worst pains.

For that was the life of a clone, the clone of a dead man.

The creature had no mind of its own, but a will that was pliable and happily influenced by what it called it's creator, it's own private god. It had no wishes, no plans or expectations, aside of those that were whispered inside its head by its father.

Yet, the being that others viewed as a monster, the mixture of man and wing and scales, was preparing to fade away. It's muscles were weakening, its pelt loosing what little luster it had once possessed, and the brand it wore proudly on its head was the only part that remained untouched and whole.

Still, even in its degeneration, it had a purpose, supported by the whims and needs of he who lived beyond, somewhere in the clouds that the child hoped to one day go.

This purpose, this reason, filled its veins with life and thoughts of survival, and its phantom heart ached for the safety and protection of this venture above all else.

The purpose was named Zack Fair.

The clone watched Zack from afar once it was introduced, the spirit in its head almost erupting with joy at the sight of familiar mako eyes, even if at the time they had been narrowed in suspicion. Still, it had protected Zack, and the female creature whose title it did not know, and smoothly flew above them to watch like the angel it represented.

It spent many days watching Zack and the brown-haired something, recognizing it by the pink bow that Zack often seemed to play with in its hair. Over time and careful eavesdropping, it learned that the being's name with Aerith, and that as itself watched over Zack, Zack watched over Aerith.

Its perch was nonnegotiable as the weeks went on, even when Zack and Aerith gave it odd but not unkind glances. It observed as the two bonded and matured, both physically and in the feelings they felt for one another.

The creature was there when Zack first held Aerith's hand before the two walked down the street, pushing the wagon awkwardly since they wanted to stay connected. It viewed the scene silently when Aerith gave Zack their first real hug, tossing her small arms around his neck while his stronger ones curled around her waist delicately, as if he was honestly afraid he'd break her.

It was there to see their first kiss, with Zack flushing a deep, sudden red that contrasted with his bright grin afterwards, and Aerith giggling into her hands yet still looking pleased.

Through it all, the dying being felt the parental love of its owner flow through it, and it wondered in the simple way it could if it was meant to watch over the two forever.

Once, Aerith had looked up from Zack's lap, contently held in a protecting grip, and called the beast their guardian angel. Zack had glanced upwards as well, smiling in an agreeing way before giving it a mock-salute. The clone had felt its wings flap involuntarily and its tail wag a little from side to side with a joy that was purely all its own.

It came as an unsuspecting shock to both the monster and its master when a day came where Zack's broad silhouette did not appear against the doorway. There had been a disturbance each hour where his boisterous voice did not break the silence of shifting petals and unhappy sighs coming from the brunette tending the flowers. The creation could practically feel each of its scales rust and disintegrate while every feather turned a little more brown and ugly.

Weeks passed, and then months, and finally what humans called years, or at least that's what Aerith spoke of when she decided to confide in the creature.

"He'll be home soon," Aerith had said, her tones strangely melodic compared to the beast's growls and guttural warbles.

"Maybe you'll come down when he comes back," she would say offhandedly, giving it odd and almost pitying looks. "You remind him of his friend." Then she would smile with a softness that contrasted Zack's energy and yet somehow seemed just as beautiful. And the clone would shift its clawed feet and stare out at the hole in the roof, wondering where its purpose had gone, and why Zack would leave his own purpose behind.

One day, a day filled with misgiving sunlight and lethargic white clouds, Aerith came to stand underneath the creature. Her eyes, which it identified as green after the second hour, stared at its own filmy orbs, tracing the curve of its deteriorating wings. Finally, she curled her hand, pianist hands the voice in its head whispered knowingly, towards it, calling it down with a kind murmur.

Its god ordered it to obey, and so the clone weakly drifted down to her side, its hinged mouth dropping open with weak, rasping breaths.

She smiled down at him gratefully, taking something yellowed and miniature and holding it out hopefully.

"Could you take this to Zack, please?" Aerith asked, her eyes glowing sadly when it opened its jaws wider to take it in, closing them with a snap to be sure what it realized was a message would not escape.

"He hasn't answered any of my other letters and..."

Aerith then turned away, clasping her hands behind her back, which the creature could tell was done to halt the shaking.

"This is my last chance," she eventually muttered, turning around and giving the monster a hopeful smile that seemed sorrowful through the unshed tears.

The demon waited no more, instead soaring upwards with its broken wings, allowing the wind and its creator's words to direct it forward. The land crawled beneath it, stark against the tiny dots that it did not recognize as its reason, as Zack.

Sunrises and sunsets came and went, reds and oranges fading into purples and blues. Pain electrified every limb, and cancerous cells dripped off its opening wounds to fall to the ground below.

But the clone did not stop, did not falter. Because it's reason was somewhere ahead, and it's reason's reason had asked it to go to him.

Finally, the being saw a familiar black figure amongst other bodies, but it paid them no attention. It felt the bones in its wings crack and snap, and its masters relieved words, and it finally allowed itself to go sprawling to the ground.

Upon the collision, dust was raised like a ghostly fog, but Zack rushed forward, looking no different than the creature remembered. His expression went from excited to horrified, but the clone simply dropped the letter from its mouth. It fluttered along with the creature's last breath, ending at Zack's feet.

Its eyes fell shut at the point, and the master's words were grateful and benevolent. The clone felt its body disappear into something lighter, fuller, and it allowed itself to be taken.

It had succeeded in reaching its purpose and secured him his happy ending.


	9. Cruel

_Author's Note :_ I apologize immensely for how long it took me to update this. To be honest, I've had something explode into my fandoms and take over, so I need to get back into stride. I plan to rewatch a bunch of Crisis Core cutscenes later this week :)

So yeah, this is really roughly edited because I'm sort of in a rush at the moment, so I'll come back and check it over again for any mistakes. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed since last update (**GoldenShinyWireofHope**, **Flameingphoneix**, **little-pocketmouse**, **Warrayfinson**, **chipmouskin**, **passer-by**, **darkangel8694**, **Xechi**, and **Wings of Fidelity**). They really mean so much to me, so once again, please do review. The amount I got this time is blowing my mind right now!!

**Cruel**

Aerith couldn't help the smile that danced across her face when she knelt in her secret garden. The buds nuzzled her hands while the petals licked her fingers, loyal to her like a dog is to a shepherd. The baby's breath sighed softly, and she joined in, her own sad sounds adding to the mournful chorus.

"I know" Aerith whispered to her silent confidants. "I miss him, too."

The sun peeked tentatively through the hole in the roof, hoping to add sparkle and cheer to what had become a dismal scene. The warmth caused the blossoms to throw back their heads in ecstasy, but the rays burned Aerith's eyes and caused them to water.

"Wow," a sudden voice said, the teasing tone causing her heart to skip a precious beat. "I hoped you'd be happy to see me, but I didn't think I'd make you cry."

Unable to stand the anticipation as her heart doubled its pounding to catch up the one it had lost, Aerith scrubbed at her eyes rapidly, uncaring if they would redden or swell. A black, jagged blur met her vision, but upon seeing two crystal fuzzy orbs, she gave up all traces of composure.

Her legs were moving before she could think it through, somehow managing to sprint above daises, buttercups, and carnations without destroying a single petal. She could barely see, but Aerith knew the tears now slipping down her face weren't from the sun.

"Zack!"

She couldn't stop it; the cry came unbidden from her lips, glossed in hysterical relief. He held out his arms, and when they slid around her back they were as comforting as she remembered. Pressing her head into his broad chest, her lips brightened in another grin that caused her pale face to glow while she focused on quelling her tears.

"It's been a while, Aerith," he admitted slowly, his hands stroking her hair, at home but almost afraid. "I'm sorry I took so long."

Gathering the resolve that had fled, Aerith backed out of his grip, turning around and giving him a glimpse of the braid that had grown longer.

"That's right. You've been gone a very long time!" she reiterated, knowing that the joking in her voice ruined the nonchalant charade. Spinning back around, she jabbed a finger towards his chest.

"Where have you been?" Aerith demanded, her accusatory words clashing with the joy in her eyes while she planted her hands on her hips.

"Man, Aerith," Zack groaned, stretching lazily as if he had all the time in the world. "I have so much to tell you."

Grinning brightly, he tucked two fingers in his pocket and snapped out a white piece of paper. He passed it over to her, dropping it into Aerith's hands with a few deliberate movements.

"But there's a promise I need to keep first," Zack stated, his blue eyes watching when she opened the square with curiosity. The edges were torn a little, crinkled from travel, and the folds were so thin she was surprised the paper was still in one piece.

"Spend time with..." she read and then stopped, glancing from the words she had written years ago to the man who had protected them for just as long.

"You understand," Zack laughed lightly, "right?"

Aerith couldn't remove herself from his embrace this time after she whispered, "Yes, Zack. I understand."

The day rushed by so quickly, grinning faces and welcomes all blurring into a single overwhelming reality. They had gone out to sell flowers together, Zack's familiar uniform for once bringing joy instead of grief. Zack had insisted they stop by the park, and the swings and slides belonged to them that day.

"Don't you ever do that again!" one child they passed had ordered, staring up at Zack with determined eyes. "Aerith was very sad."

Zack then wrapped his hands around her waist, fingering the pink ribbon while whispering, "Don't worry. I'm here to stay."

Now here they were, back in the church with the tips of their toes under floral assault. Aerith couldn't shake the placid contentment that permeated the air in Zack's presence, nor could she ignore the tingling brought on by the feeling of his hand in hers.

"I missed you, Zack," she spoke, her tones hushed and delicate. Zack turned towards her, easy smile gone from his tan face.

"I'm sorry, Aerith."

He moved to say more, but Aerith couldn't stop herself from interrupting.

"Promise you won't leave again," she murmured, fighting the urge to duck her head, "please."

Zack inched closer, seeming unsure but taking her face in his hands, which were trembling.

"I promise," he vowed solemnly. "SOLDIER's honor."

She shifted closer then, ready for something to take the loss away forever, for something to bury it far and deep underneath joy and newfound memories. Zack must've felt the same, for he pressed his lips to hers in a gesture Aerith found more perfect than she remembered.

Pulling away, Zack's smile glowed.

"I love you."

Aerith's eyes snapped open, green staring unseeingly into the darkness. Glancing downwards, she saw and felt the sheets grasped painfully in her fists. Breathing deeply, she took a quick sweep of the room.

She was alone, and the scent of ink in the air told her the day.

Turning over and pressing her face into the pillow, Aerith decided to blame her tears on the moonshine.


	10. Heaven

_Author's Note: _I apologize so much for how long this update has taken me. I promise to be more prompt in the future. :)

I can't say I love this one, but it came out, and I hope you enjoy it.

THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed since the last drabble. PLEASE review this time. I appreciate it more than anything.

**Heaven**

"Aerith! Hey, Aerith!"

The girl in question turned around with an expectant smile, the gesture widening as Zack sped down the aisles. The slapping sound of wet boots left drops of water in a trail between the pews, and Aerith's brow furrowed at the somewhat unwanted sight.

Zack rushed to a stop in front of her, his raven hair adorned with flecks of frozen white, ice hanging off a few of his spikes comically. His face was flushed from the cold more than the run, making Aerith want to shiver underneath the warmth of her clothes.

"Hello, Zack," Aerith greeted, glancing back down at the flowers that had curled into themselves at the chill. A few of them had grayed along the edges, and it worried her that they may perish in the frost. Normally, most of her blessed flowers made it through the winter, and so it was more difficult when those fragile few fell.

"Have you gone outside yet?" Zack questioned, wiping the trail of water that had trickled from the melted ice down his cheek.

"Have I gone outside?" Aerith reiterated a little motherly, taking in the man who looked a little more like a boy. "It's a storm out there, Zack!"

"A storm?" Zack frowned, gesturing towards the doorway, where flurries of white fluttered through the air and flowered the ground. "It's snowing!"

Aerith clasped her hands behind her back innocently, and Zack crossed his arms in response.

"Don't tell me you never go outside when it's snowing."

Though his tone was incredulous, his blue eyes glowed with excitement and barely hidden intentions, and Aerith could already feel her heart beginning to beat with a child's anticipation.

"It gets cold," Aerith protested as way of explanation, "and the flowers-"

"Here," Zack offered along with his interruption, shrugging out of the heavy SOLDIER-issue jacket that had previously adorned his shoulders. He waited until Aerith slipped her arms into the warm fabric before grabbing her first visible hand.

"Alright, come on!"

He pulled her along, her nervous laughter precious on his ears as they neared the waiting cold.

"Zack!" she shrieked, previously unsure demeanor completely gone in the rush of play.

When the first rush of cold air bit at her face, Aerith sucked in a quick, almost painful breath. She was used to the unexplainable but perpetual warmth of her church, always filled with sunlight and the sweet caresses of buds heated with life.

Zack released her hand after they had tumbled into the street, snow piled past their ankles. His black boots crunched as he spun, letting the flakes cover his closed eyelids and his relaxed grin. Even with his arms completely exposed to the cold, he never once shivered or showed an inkling of discomfort, and Aerith watched him a cloudy sort of haze.

Thought consumed her so that she didn't notice when Zack stopped, disappearing into the snow too perfectly with his black hair and tan skin, hiding when it should've been impossible.

An icy ball of snow and slush snapped her out of her haze.

"Zack!" she exclaimed, half surprised and half restrained laughter. She scrubbed the snow out of her eyes, gaining a view of Zack poised with an entire arsenal in his strong arms.

"Ready?" he inquired playfully, letting out a robust laugh when Aerith scrambled away from what she hoped was his field of vision. The army of snowballs falling on her head proved otherwise, and she quickly ducked down to scoop some of the freezing slush into her hands.

Crouching beneath a pile of snow that had offered her a few seconds protection, Aerith waited until she could see Zack's shadow splayed across the snow. She leapt out, tossing her snowball with a beginner's haste. She covered her face, waiting for an abrupt counterattack, but when none came, she tentatively peeked between her fingers.

Snow covering half his face, Zack was staring at her, somewhat dumbfounded, but before she could comprehend her victory, a dastardly smile split upon his lips.

In an instant he jumped forward, his arms curling around her waist and sending them both flying in the snow. It fell all around them, amplifying the heat that radiated from Zack's makeshift embrace. Aerith laughed softy, still smiling when Zack lifted himself on his arms so he could see her reddened nose and cheeks.

After a few seconds, they both stilled, and when Zack began coming closer, Aerith felt her eyes shut expectantly.

Instead, she received another snowball in the face.

Zack fell on his side with laughter, clutching his stomach without restraint and letting out strong chuckles in the snow, his entire body gaining a layer of white skin. His good mood was contagious, and Aerith couldn't be angry at someone who could stay so innocent after so many terrors.

The thought threatened to somber her mood, but Zack propped his head on one hand, as if knowing her state of mind, and said two words.

"Snow angels."

Ten minutes later, it looked like about twenty fallen angels had been catapulted into the slums. Aeirth and Zack lay together in their last winged imprints, hands connected across the gap.

Aerith sat up after a few moments of peace, taking in the sweet shapes that would now greet anyone passing through the streets.

"The angels really are beautiful," she admitted, knowing this time with Zack was worth the time she would later spend huddled around the fire.

At her words, Zack sat up, his serious eyes never leaving her face.

"I think so, too."


	11. Regret

A/N: I hope everyone has had a good holiday! :) Sorry again for taking so long, but tis the season. ;)

THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed since last time. It means a lot, and I appreciate it a great deal. Please continue to review. Thanks again, and I hope you like this chapter.

**Regret**

Even just a month ago, if someone had asked Zack what was most important to him, he would have stated that, obviously, it was being a hero.

Because…well, that had been his dream. Who didn't want to be a hero, to be admired as someone trustworthy and strong? Even more than that, it was something Zack was sure he could do, an accomplishment that wasn't so unreachable as anybody claimed. If he worked hard enough, trained enough, than he'd be the heroic figure that was waiting for him.

But as he lay there, on the cold ground with only the metallic taste of blood in his mouth keeping him conscious, Zack found that his mind didn't want to think those thoughts. He couldn't mourn and lament the man he might never be, the figure of awe and inspiration that he might never become.

Instead his cloudy vision filled itself with illusions, the bulky objects lying in front of him playing like a television screen. Wires became neat braids decorated with pink ribbons, buttons and knobs shifting into friendly, and beautiful, green eyes. The distant clanging of matching swords and the accompanied howls and cries of pain felt like delicate laughter dancing through flower petals.

And as he lay there, head pounding, wounds spouting blood, limbs shaking as if he'd never have the strength to push himself back up again, Zack wasn't sorry that he never became a hero.

Zack was sorry that he'd let Aerith down.

The tiny folded square of paper in his pocket felt like it was a trillion pounds, pressing against his leg and reminding him...

_You promised her._

He remembered her bright smiles that used to be so shy, the way her face had fallen as his phone had begun its siren ringing. Once, the sound had given him an optimistic cheer, a chance to prove himself to the world. At that moment, it had felt like a curse, tearing away from someone who brought him real honest happiness.

He recalled himself nodding, promising promises when in the end it seemed that he had only been promising her castles in the sky that he wasn't going to be there to build. Zack wondered if she was waiting for him, the sun painting itself in her hair in the way that rendered him speechless some times. He wondered if he was worrying her, and a wave of guilt washed over him, because he never wanted to make her feel that way.

Zack loved Aerith. He had only wanted to make her happy, to make her laugh, to make her feel as if the world was full of something ready to be discovered, the way she always made him feel. He had wanted a chance to hold her when she was breaking, put her back together again, the way she had done for him. He was going to take her up into the real Midgar, erase her fear with the sight of the beautiful blue sky and the clean air. Zack wanted to take her home to Gongaga, to show his parents that he had found someone he could always come home to.

Zack wanted to marry Aerith. He had spent so many sparing sessions distracted with visions of "I do's" and "In sickness and in health's." He'd taken free time he had and spent it in shop windows, staring at rings that he still hadn't had enough gil to buy. He'd been so close, and the pile in his drawer was only a little bit away, not that it mattered now.

Zack was going to live a life with Aerith. He was going to go on his missions, save the day as he had always dreamed, and come home into the arms of someone he loved. They were going to raise a family together, have children and give them everything they could.

There were so many things that he had been sure they were going to do, lives they were going to have. A life that was started when he awoke and saw her eyes, a life that was supposed to be continued by the list in his pocket.

As he lay there, he knew he'd failed. Yes, he'd failed his mission and let an entire town burn to the ground. Yes, he'd failed himself and become a weak victim instead of the demigod that he had always been sure he'd be.

But more important was the fact that he had failed her, and while he could take the rest, that was a burden he could not bear.


	12. Hero

A/N: I apologize a great deal for how long (two months????) it's taken me to get this next part up. I think it's a little sub-par, but I really wanted to update and get this out to you all. Life's just been kicking me in the face, but I'll try to keep this updated a lot more regularly. Also, I haven't been very inspired, so if anyone has any suggestions for future drabbles, or even prompt words, I think that would help get things moving. Either way, thanks for sticking with me!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Please review again! It means such a great deal.

**Hero**

Aerith couldn't help but smile as Zack played with the motley group of boys and girls, screaming and cheering as they raced around the playground. They seemed automatically drawn to him every time he managed to hoard enough free time to spend in a visit, the filthy children from the slums' underbelly crawling towards the light in Zack's smiles and cheerful laughter. Once they had perhaps been fearful of him, kept away by the threat in his title of SOLDIER, frightened by the massive sword slung over his back. Now though, one glimpse into his eyes showed anyone that Zack was the farthest thing from dangerous, at least to them, and now every child loved him. Just the mention of his name could bring forth excited squeals and pitifully crooked grins.

They were playing in the park now, shrieking down the dilapidated slides and swinging along the rusty jungle gym. Zack would sometimes stand at the bottom of the slide, catching a girl as she raced down apprehensively, only to vanquish her fear in the comfort of his strong arms. At the moment, he was lifting a small boy towards the bars, bringing him up with a whoop so he could take the metal in his hands.

People under the plate didn't get to have moments like this often. Children usually had busy parents who were scrounging for any funds they could, leaving no free time to play. Outsiders rarely ventured into the horrible world of the slums, so someone like Zack so willingly giving up his time to the children meant the entire world to them.

Aerith had listened to Zack talk about his (their) future many times. They had painted fantasies together in the form of a successful flower shop and a rewarding career. Aerith was going to help spread beauty to every house, hope to every heart, and Zack was going to become the kind of legend that people told around campfires, voices filled with undisguised awe.

Zack was going to be a hero, and every time he announced the phrase, subconsciously stepping into the light twinkling down from a broken ceiling, blue eyes glowing, Aerith believed him. There was no doubt that Zack would one day change the world.

But in moments like this, moments where Zack was tumbling to the ground, five little bodies jumping atop him with laughter and shouts of joy, Aerith thought that he was already there. Zack was a hero without vanquishing monsters or by traveling to the darkest depths of the universe, only to come back unscathed.

Even without that, Aerith knew that Zack was already something special. Zack was the spark of playfulness these kids would otherwise never have gotten to know. He was the arms that would lift a small body and teach it to fly. Zack was the kiss that caused a blush on Aerith's cheek, the light in the darkness that could pierce every shadow hiding in the alleys of the slums.

To everyone under the plate, to these children, to her, Zack was already a hero.

"Hey, Aerith!"

Broken out of her thoughts, Aerith turned her head at the sound of her name. Zack was now at the bottom of the slide, children circling him with glowing faces, and when she walked over, he gestured her towards the creaking steps that led to the top. Laughing lightly, Aerith climbed upwards, looking down to be blinded by a sea of grinning faces alight with happiness.

Pressing on despite the fluttering in her stomach, Aerith slid down into the arms that she knew would always catch her.


End file.
